String-cutter.



PATEKTED 061.. s, 1903.

' G. R. BUTLER.

STRING CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11 1903.

N0 MODEL.

a. RBUTLER r NORRIS PETERs cu. wmcm'ma mwamfuw .5

UNITED, STATES Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

STRING-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Letters Patent NO- 740,526, dated October 6, 1903.

Application filed February 11. 1903- Serial No. 142,904. (No model.)

To all whom itmwy concern) Be it known that I, GRAHAM R. BUTLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas, State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in String-Gutters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable otherss killed in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to string-cutters.

' such as are employed for cutting the string or cord after it has been tied around-a bundle or package, the object of the invention being to provide a device which may be held at all times in such relation to the string that it will be convenient of access.

Other objects of the invention include the provision of a cutter having a series of blades which may be used interchangeably and in connection with which there-will be provided guards to prevent cutting of the fingers of the operator.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a perspective View show? ing the cutter and the position of the string in the cutting operation. Fig. 2 is a crosssection through the cutter. tail perspective View of the string-retaining bushing in the handle of the cutter.

Referring now to the drawings, the present cutter comprises a handle '5, which if of'wood or similar material has a longitudinal tube 6 passed centrally therethrough; but if the handle be of metal or other hard material this tube may be omitted and the handle may have a simple tubular passage therethrough. The handle is tapered from one end to the other and adjacent to its minor end is concaved,,as shown at 7. In connect-ion with the handle are employed a plurality of blades 8,

which in the present instance are threein number, and the minor end of the handle has longitudinal grooves 9 in its face, in which are engaged the stems or shanks of blades 10, these grooves 9 extending into the concaved portion of the handle for a portion of the length of the latter to receive corresponding portions of the cutting edges of the blades, which cutting edges project beyond the Fig. 3 is a degrooves in the direction of the major end of the handle and to which handle the cutting edges after they leave the grooves lie at acute angles.

'Over each of the blades 10 is disposed at guard 1l,'Which extends longitudinally of the blade and atone-end is curved downwardly into hook form and part way around the point of the blade in a direction toward the stem of the blade, the extremity of the hook lying slightly spaced from the handle and the guard being of spring metal, so that the string to be cut may be readily passedbetween the guard and the handle and thence between the cutting edge of the blade and the handle to cut the string. The opposite ends of the guards are disposed upon the flattened faces of the minor end portion of the handle, in which positions they are held by means of a ferrule 12, which encircles the minor end of the handle.

In practice the string from the ball is passed through the handle 5 and the tube 6 from the major to the minor end of the handle,'and after the free end portion of the string has been fastened around a bundle ing'rethreading of the string therethrough, a

retaining-bushing 13 is provided and is engaged in the tube 6 at the major end of the handle, this bushing having a flange 14 at its outer end to limit movement thereof. into the tube, while the opposite end of the bushing is slit longitudinally to form fingers 15, the extremities of which arebent slightly inwardly, so that the string may bev readily drawn through the bushing fromthe flanged end to the fingered end of the latter and will be prevented from movement in the opposite direction by engagement of the fingers therewith. The bushing fits the tube with sufiicient ICO snugness to prevent accidental disengagement thereof, while it may be withdrawn when desired.

In practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be made, and any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

That is claimed is- 1. A string-cutter comprising a handle, a blade secured to the handle and a guard secured at one end to the handle and extending longitudinally over and around the point of the blade between it and the handle, said guard being of spring metal whereby it may be sprung away from the handle.

2. A string-cutter comprising a handle, a blade secured to the handle and a guard secured at one end to the handle and extending.

GRAHAM R. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

R. EWERTZ, J. A. MATH WS. 

